Rocks by Any Other Name

I first tasted wine from the Rocks in 2014, a year before there was a Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA. It was at a tasting hosted by Esquin, with a line-up of Washington great reds, that included Christophe Baron's Cayuse wines.

Cayuse and Quilceda Creek Tasting at Esquin

While he might not be the first to grow grapes in the Milton-Freewater area, the French winemaker was the one who brought that region to international fame. When Baron first set eyes on the terroir, he saw a field of cobblestones, that reminded him of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. He planted his first vineyard there in 1997 and named his winery Cayuse Vineyards, after the Native American tribe. Incidentally, the word "Cayuse" was derived from the French word for stones, cailloux.

Terroir or Wine Flaws?

Cayuse tasting room that is always closed

Baron was a controversial winemaker. While many absolutely adore his wines, he has his fair share of skeptics. Kori Voorhees of Wine Peeps wrote a compelling blog post in 2010 on whether Cayuse wine flavor profile was a reflection of a unique terroir or simply wine flaws. She even ran lab tests to prove that it was the latter.

I confess that I went into the Esquin tasting as a skeptic. Then I tasted four of his wines; Bionic Frog Syrah, Cailloux Syrah, Widowmaker Cabernet Sauvignon, and God Only Knows Grenache. It was not hard to pick up the unique flavor profile across the different varietals. What Voorhees would call pickle brine and cooked cabbage, I called kimchi. However, I found the umami in the wines oddly pleasing with a well-rounded complexity.

I was sold! (And yes, I love kimchi too.)

Rocks or Stones?

Fast forward five years from the tasting, the Rocks District was established as an AVA and continues to attract a lot of attention from both wine critics and wine collectors. The number of wineries that offer or increase wine offerings in the Rocks District AVA has also grown exponentially.

Sleight of Hand Cellars, for example, added two Syrahs from the Rocks District (Funk Vineyard's Funkadelic and Elevation Vineyard's Spider from Mars) to its popular Stoney Vine Vineyard's Psychedelic. All three single vineyard Syrahs are offered in the newly formed "For Those Who Love the Rocks" club.

Sleight of Hand Cellars' Single Vineyard Syrahs from the Rocks District

Interestingly, while others are cashing out on the Rocks District AVA branding, Baron did not jump on the bandwagon simply because he didn't like the name. (He prefers "Stones.") Truthfully, Baron didn't need to use the coveted AVA on the label. When people think of the Rocks District, people already think of Cayuse.

Regardless of the AVA listed on the label, the Rocks District produces beautiful wines. I want to share with you three from my cellar that I am super excited about.

Force Majeure's SJR, Rasa's Primus Inter Pares & Reynvaan's ITR Syrah

2016 Force Majeure's SJR Syrah is a departure from the winery's typical Red Mountain offerings. The project paid off when it received 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck of Wine Advocate. I tasted the SJR Vineyard Syrah the past spring at the Force Majeure winemaker's dinner before it was officially released. While every Force Majeure wine that night was incredible, the SJR was the most terroir-driven and interesting for me. It made such a lasting impression that I begged the winery to allocate a bottle to me.

2017 Rasa Primus Inter Pares Grenache is such a fun and fascinating wine. I tasted it during this past Spring Release in Walla Walla. Made with 100% Grenache from Monette's Vineyard, the wine is fruit-driven with cherries and berries and yet savory with the minerality that is typical of the region. International Wine Report gave it 95 points.

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah In the Rocks is just stunning. In fact, Baron sold the Reynvaans the parcel of land that would become the estate In the Rocks Vineyard. A protégé of Baron, winemaker Matt Reynvaan is a star producer of Rhône-style varietals. I tasted the Syrah also during the past Spring Release in Walla Walla. It has well-balanced layers of fruit, meatiness, and umami. Jeb Dunnuck gave it 97 points.

My Verdict: I have definitely been converted from a Cayuse skeptic to a big fan of the Rocks region.  I do not disagree with Voorhees' blog post about the lab test results, and I certainly do not think that the Rocks District wines taste anything like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I do, however, have a different perspective of what constitutes wine flaws. After all, there is no accounting for taste. I would encourage anyone to keep an open mind and try a wine from the Rocks District. I'd love to hear your thoughts!